Dandelion Wishes begins the Love in Harmony Valley series with a truly heartbreaking romance that affects so many lives in this small town. Yes, eventually, there will be a happy ending, but for the majority of Emma’s and Will’s story, heartache and guilt will be their constant companion.Emma and Tracy have been best friends since childhood; Tracy’s older brother Will has been lovingly bedeviled by the girls, getting them out of scrapes and hovering over them with unwanted protectiveness. When Tracy suffered a very bad injury when she and Emma were in a car accident absolutely everything changed for them. Everything. Will blames Emma for Tracy’s injuries and tries his best to keep Emma out of their lives. Once friends, now he doesn’t trust her, and the blame he places on her is overwhelming, affecting every aspect of his and his family’s lives, for he isn’t one bit silent about who is to blame (in his mind) for the difficulties his sister now faces.The devastation that Emma feels over the accident that harmed her best friend and the guilt she feels constantly is so heartbreakingly written. And not to mention, the other thing that she loved most in the world has also been snatched away because of these circumstances. Her passion, her livelihood, her painting. When Emma learns that Tracy is no longer in the hospital that she’s been barred from visiting her at… well, you need to read that scene for yourself.As Emma returns home, she’ll find so much the same… and so much changed. Her Granny Rose is as feisty as ever, except when she seems to be slipping into dementia. Her hometown is slowly dying. Will and two friends have plans to bring life back to their town, but no one wants what they’re offering. Emotions are running high at every turn. And how is it possible that she’s falling in love with the man who despises her so much and seems will never forgive her for something so beyond her control?I’ve said far more about parts of the plot than I normally would do in a review. Yet, I wanted to convey the intensity of Dandelion Wishes, that it’s a deep story touching on more than simply a lighthearted romance (which is wonderful but not this story). It delves into how something unintentional can have such devastating results for so many people. How one person’s perception of a situation (or really situations) can be so far off kilter. The courage it takes to keep on fighting, especially when all the odds are against you. The support of true friends and family, even when they do silly things that have you wanting to put them in a time-out corner. And, really, just life… a life that goes on in spite of two people discovering that a different kind of love exists between them, but one that has no future until forgiveness can be granted.I cried my eyes out during a story that offers sadness, emotional pain, feelings of betrayal… and yet, also brings moments of hope, the knowledge that life goes on, differently perhaps, but life can still be wonderful, and that love, hard fought for love can be enduring for a lifetime. If this is the type of realistic romance that you crave, if experiencing the bad times along with the good only makes the characters more real to you, or if you simply love a well-written, emotional story that will stay with you long after the book is closed… then Dandelion Wishes would be perfect for you.I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
